Don't Judge a Goddess by her Cover
by Catherine Chen
Summary: A couple I believe to be a perfect pairing. After a long friendship, are they ready to fall in love? Naive and idealistic...she makes him a better man and brings out his protective instincts. Passionate and self-assured...he makes her feel in a way she never has before. Can their budding romance withstand the tests and burdens of the past to come? Please read&review.
1. Where Have All The Good Men Gone?

Don't Judge A Goddess by Her Cover

Don't Judge A Goddess by Her Cover

Remember the myth of Ares and Aphrodite being caught together in bed and trapped by the net? This is after that. The twist is that another goddess had thought she had captured his interest, especially given the amount of attention he had paid her. Can this headstrong young woman forgive and forget? Can she show him that beneath a cold, bookish exterior is a romantic, lustful temptress? Who is this mystery woman? Well, read to find out. Will these two people who are meant for each other fulfill their destinies? Read on to see and REVIEW!

"Ow!" he rubbed the chiseled jaw where a carefully aimed bread roll had just hit him rather forcefully. "What is wrong with you? I just asked if you wanted to go out to the practice field and practice as we usually do."

"You infuriating, oblivious, idiotic MAN!" the dark-haired woman who had thrown the baked projectile cried. "You don't even realize what you've –and to think I thought you were intelligent…I…UGH!" she screamed as she threw another roll at his head.

He dodged it, and took another step towards her. "What have I done wrong to displease her majesty today?"

"You know as well as I do that we were all there to see your little affair turn sour. I'd known you'd sleep with any female that moved but honestly Ares–"

"Oh don't throw that in my face again, no pun intended. That was days ago. I've gotten over the humiliation of it. Why are you so bothered by it?"

"I'm not…it's just that I have no wish to spend any time with you, you revolting cretin. No more practicing with swords or bows and arrows and teaching me to dance and flirting every chance you get and–"

"That's it, isn't it?" he interrupted her, comprehension lighting his face and widening his eyes. "You're jealous, aren't you? You thought that I–"

"You arrogant jerk," she fairly spat out. "Don't you dare finish that sentence…to think that I would ever be interested in someone like you is beyond ridiculous. I can't imagine anyone being foolish enough to–"

"Sweetheart, it's not that I'm not flattered, but I…" he broke off to gracefully catch the knife that had flown his way with deadly accuracy. "Temper, temper," he scolded. "I'll be back tomorrow when you've cooled down. And you call me a hothead."

"You are, you egotistical bast–"

"Eh, eh, eh," he reprimanded again infuriatingly. "Now is that anyway for a lady to behave? Until tomorrow…" he turned to exit the room, swiftly moving to catch another knife just before it landed between his shoulders. "And you're supposed to be the calm, reasonable god of war."

"Ugh!"

He closed the door just as spear narrowly missed his head.

--

Figure out who it is yet? No? Well then, I'm very disappointed in you. If so, congrats! I'm a big mythology fan (as well as a history fan) so if you've figured this out you've gone up a couple of places in my list. Anyway, this is one of my favorite ships aside from Persephone-Hades so I hope you'll enjoy this and the other two versions I'm putting out there. There will be a lot more of these two to come. Also, I think I'll do my reveal in chapter 2 or 3 depending how long I can hold out without having them use names. (It's a little irritating).


	2. Isn't There A White Knight?

This has the second highest number of hits (of the three), so it is my second update

This has the second highest number of hits (of the three), so it is my second update.

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The housekeeper began to get exasperated. "I have told you, my lord. She isn't home."

"What do you mean, she isn't home? She's always home." He frowned. "Is she hiding from me?"

"My lord, quite frankly I don't care if you are the god of war. If you refuse to listen to reason I am not going to continue to stand here and argue with you. I can't make her materialize. She. Isn't. Here," said the woman quite firmly.

Ares merely peered at her closely. "You aren't her, are you? Athena, are you disguising yourself as your housekeeper?"

"I. Am. Not. Lady. Athena," bit out the housekeeper, gritting her teeth at the stupidity of the man in front of her.

He continued to stare at her, but in a few moments had evidently convinced himself of the veracity of her statements. He changed tactics. "Where is she?"

"I am not at liberty to say, my lord."

"Why not?" he challenged.

"Those were my orders from Lady Athena."

His voice became icily cold. "What exactly were _Lady Athena's_ orders?"

The housekeeper didn't flinch. "If my brothers or sisters come by tell them where I've gone. If it's anyone else just say I've gone out. If Ares happens to show up you can tell him to go visit our esteemed uncle."

Ares clenched his fist to maintain control. "Kindly tell _Lady Athena_ that I'll be back tomorrow."

"As you wish, my lord," quickly taking the order as an opportunity to close the door and put an end to their chat.

--

"Tartarus!" Apollo held up a hand in surrender. "Alright, you win. Can we stop now?" He offered his sword to her in a grand gesture of submission.

She looked down at the smiling, handsome god kneeling at her feet. If only she could have fallen for the blond poet-singer instead of her dark-haired, hot-tempered war god. Her war god? It was thoughts like that which had gotten her in this mess.

"I'm sorry. I guess I took out my aggression on you," she said in her normal quiet tones. In fact, when she wasn't yelling at Ares, her voice had a pleasant, musical quality to it.

"Thank you, my dear. You have rendered me exhausted. I vow, I shall not even be able to make it to the house," he said with another easy smile as he rose to his feet and swept her up into his arms.

"You are too tired from swordplay to make it the few steps to the house but you can carry me there?" she asked playfully.

"You exhaust me and energize me all at once, Athena. I suppose it is just another one of your powers," he leaned down to kiss her cheek softly.

"Apollo...we've talked about this," she trailed off.

"I know, darling. A man can hope, though. And perhaps steal a kiss or two."

She smiled at him. "I do wish things were different..."

He returned her smile a little sadly. "Our lives are in the hands of the Fates just as the lives of the mortals are. What is meant to happen will happen."

She shifted in his arms and gently kissed his lips. In her mind though, she saw not her blond blue-eyed friend but a dark-haired, dark-eyed devil.

--

Hope you like it. I like it. Well, except for the Apollo bit. I may need to work on that. Too many stories. I'll fix it if I ever finish them all. Much love, Cat.


	3. And He's Gotta Be Fresh From the Fight

It has taken me sooo long to figure out where to go from here. This is a rather mature, dramatic writing style for me so I didn't want to just toss the characters about willy-nilly. Here's hoping you like the results of my efforts…PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!!

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He kissed the side of her neck, causing her to shiver delightfully against him. "I was right, wasn't I? You do have feelings for me, don't you?" he asked as he held her tightly against him by her waist, his other hand keeping a firm grip on the sword he had used to bring hers to the ground to effectively trap her.

She had thought it was best to simply confront him, instead of going off with Apollo, and pretend as though nothing had happened. She had obviously had taken a drink from the River Lethe if she had been so foolish as to think she could ignore his effect on her. "Let me go, Ares".

He kissed her jaw and her breath caught in her throat. "Admit it. You want me."

"I want to kill you."

She felt him smile against her neck. "You know that isn't possible, Athena. You did manage to wound me rather badly, though. I never did punish you for that. Would you like to see the scar?"

His warm breath fanning over her throat heated her blood and made her wish for things she knew were impossible. Then the meaning of his words hit her. Troy. A bitter bile rose in her throat as she remembered why Ares had engaged in the conflict. For his beloved Aphrodite. "You sicken me," she whispered, her voice dripping with venom as she tried to break free of his hold.

"Our practice sessions have made me stronger, Athena. Also, I am not acting in anger at the moment. You might as well stop trying to resist me as it is having quite the opposite effect that you wish to achieve," he said, his eyes gleaming down at her.

She could have screamed in frustration. She couldn't remain in his arms any longer, having him mock her, taunt her. She tried to lash out at him to fend off his attack. "Tell me, how did it feel when Diomedes wounded you? How did it feel to know that a mere mortal was piercing your flesh, defiling your godly beauty? Spilling your blood? Was Aphrodite disappointed? Was your whore displeased with your defeat?"

His eyes were flashing with anger now. He didn't know how he could be so infuriated with her yet want to ravish her at the same time. Ares had never felt like this about another woman. He gave into his baser instincts and took her lips in a ruthless kiss. Over and over he drove his tongue into her mouth, seeking to possess her, to tame her. He reveled in the sweet taste of her, her immediate and fiery response. They dropped their swords and wrapped their arms around each other. His grip on her would have left any other woman bruised and crushed, but she wasn't like any other woman, any other goddess. He could feel his body responding to the kiss, eager as Tartarus for what it knew would come soon.

She couldn't deny it, she wanted him. Oh, how she wanted him. She wanted to devour him, make him hers in every way. For years they had danced around each other, occasionally erupting in violent clashes when their feelings came to a boil. But they had never done this. They had always solved their disputes on the battlefield, never engaged in such a passionate embrace. She gripped his shoulders tightly, earning a growl of pleasure from him as her fingers dug into his skin. She loved that she didn't have to hold back with him, didn't have to worry about hurting him.

He lifted her into his arms as though she weighed nothing at all, without breaking the kiss.

The next thing she knew she was no longer on the practice field and she was lying down, something soft pressing against her back. She tore her lips from his. "Where are we?" she whispered huskily.

"My room," he returned hoarsely, moving to kiss her once more.

Reality rushed backed to her all at once. His room. What was he thinking? What was she thinking? How had they come to this point? "I have to go, Ares," she said, blinking before he could say a thing to stop her.

"Tartarus."

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Replacing the selection of a translated myth with a bit of summary instead...

During the Trojan War, Ares engaged in battle under pressure/after having been coerced by Aphrodite. Athena fought him because of her own loyalties, but also because Hera ordered her to. Hera was displeased that Ares was being influenced by Aphrodite who she disliked intensely/did not approve of. First, Athena sent Diomedes, a young warrior, to fight Ares. Diomedes managed to wound Ares. Then, Athena herself fought with Ares. She beat him. BADLY. Aphrodite came to take him(theoretically to tend to his wounds) once he had been thoroughly defeated. Hera was still upset at the thought of her son still with Aphrodite.

PLEASE REVIEW!!! Much love, Cat


	4. After Midnight In My Wildest Fantasies

I felt like writing. PLEASE REVIEW this time.

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He didn't know what he was supposed to do. There was no way of knowing for sure where she had gone off to. "Tartarus!" Things weren't supposed to be this difficult. He had been experiencing mild frustration with Athena for the past few days while unable to find her, but their last encounter…that had been completely unexpected. He had thought to merely get a rise out of her, never imagining that she might actually be interested in him on a physical level. He had wanted to torment her for making him wait around for her while she disappeared to Gaia only knows where while he had to deal with her housekeeper, but that kiss…she hadn't been the only one affected in their battle. He had spent the last few nights lying in bed thinking about her deep into the night until sleep finally claimed him and she overtook his dreams, his imagination running rampant with images of her. Most often in his dreams they were together in bed but occasionally they would simply be fighting with a vast arsenal of weapons or talking by a pond. In the most disturbing of his dreams he laid with his head pillowed on her lap as she read to him.

He had taken the tonic given to him by Morpheus but it didn't do him any good. She was like a poison in him, seeping through his defenses, impossible to get rid of. If only he could find some antidote to remove her from his every waking and unconscious thought.

--

What had she been thinking? That question had been plaguing her nonstop for the past few days. Letting him provoke her like that, giving into her baser instincts. She was no better than…than Aphrodite. Ugh. She was disgusted with herself.

It was impossible to deny the truth though. It had felt incredible to be held in his arms, his grasp strong, crushing, yet somehow gentle in that he wasn't trying to hurt her. She had somehow sensed instinctively that if he had known he was hurting her he would have stopped. It had been thrilling, exciting, frustrating.

Held tightly against him, her head swimming with his masculine scent as he whispered fairly incomprehensibly against her neck in a rough voice, she had felt…desirable. The experience had left her branded with the taste of him, the feel of him. She knew in the depths of her soul that she would never be able to erase him from her consciousness. He would forever be a part of her whether she willed it or no. It was as if it had been predestined. It was something both inexplicable and inescapable.

Her last thoughts caused her to pause. Perhaps it wasn't so inexplicable at all. There were some people she needed to see.

--

Ah the drama. I am plotting now. I have a course that has been charted to some extent. Will you review so I can get some useful feedback!? Much love, Cat.


	5. There's Someone Somewhere Watching Me

"Well, it took you long enough," complained Klotho.

"What…" started Athena. She paused as Atropos held up a hand.

The three sisters gathered together their eyes glowing a luminescent light blue as they began to speak in unison.

"_When fire and ice choose to collide_

_Betrayal will strike where the heart does reside._

_The ice shall then gather the dew,_

_Under the flame's vibrant hues._

_Should the cool, clear water tempt the fiery flame,_

_War shall reunite in name."_

Athena narrowed her eyes. "How did you know…"

"We always know," Lakhesis interrupted.

"In case you haven't noticed, it's what we do," added Atropos.

"It's all we do," muttered Klotho.

Athena sighed. "Well, I take it that Ares is fire and I am ice," she said dryly. "The betrayal must be Aphrodite, though it wasn't much of a betrayal as we had no ties to each other."

"It betrayed the prophecy," said Klotho. "Ow! Why did you hit me?" she cried.

"You need to learn to keep your thoughts to yourself sometimes," chided Atropos.

"Now, let's not fight," murmured Lakhesis.

Athena sat in one of the chairs beside the loom. "I take it that the dew refers to the melting of the ice by the flame. The water continues the ice metaphor. What does the bit about war mean?"

"We are bound by the rules of the ancients not to reveal the nature of the…" recited the Fates.

"We are both the gods of war!" interrupted Athena. "Oh, surely not. You can't expect us to…"

They smiled and nodded.

"Wait," Athena said, remembering part of the prophecy. "Should the cool, clear water tempt the fiery flame," she said slowly, her eyes narrowed before they widened in comprehension. "How I am I supposed to tempt him? I am not about the throw myself at him to fulfill some…"

"Everything will work out fine," said Lakhesis comfortingly.

"Fate has a way of working things out," murmured Atropos with a smile.

"I still think she should at least try to be more alluring. She's got a good figure. A bit on the thin side," noted Klotho.

Stunned by the revelation that she and Ares were somehow meant to be together, Athena swept out of the cavern to board the boat out of the Underworld.

"We're doomed," said Klotho as she resumed her spinning.

"She is our sister. We shouldn't lose faith in her capabilities just yet," said Atropos.

Lakhesis sat silently, gazing into the great expanse of the Underworld. Though she knew the prophecy as well as the others, she too was fearful that their sister would be unable to tame the unruly Ares.

-----

He was in a terrible mood. He hadn't felt like practicing without her so he now he was reduced to honing his knife throwing and archery skills with the targets in his home. It did very little in reducing his overall level of stress. Although he didn't want to admit it, a part of him missed her.

The trouble was, he still had no idea where she had gone off to. Tartarus, the real trouble was that he couldn't stop himself from thinking about where she had gone off to. He had plagued her housekeeper endlessly, trekked to and from every literary or artistic event being held throughout the world. Still, she remained hidden from him.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. He heard one of the servants answer it. There was something familiar about that voice… He straightened in his chair. Athena! Before he could reach her, she had left.

"Lady Athena left this for you, sir," said the maid quietly before scurrying off.

It was a note. _Ares, I'm sorry if I have inconvenienced you over the past few days. My housekeeper has kept me apprised of your frequent visits to my home. I regret that I was not there to greet you when you came to visit. I shall be home tomorrow in the afternoon should you decide to call on me. –Athena._

At least he'd finally know where to find her, he thought as he returned to his room.

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	6. I Can Feel His Approach

Now that he was in her waiting room he didn't know what to do. All the pretty phrases and charming words he had rehearsed in his head the night before had gone winging out of his head the moment she stepped through the door. She was beautiful. Really, truly beautiful. He wondered why he had never seen it before. Even their kiss had been more about getting caught up in the heat of the moment, the passion of the argument instead of the pure, all-encompassing lust he felt coursing through his veins as he stared wordlessly at the goddess who stood before him.

She had let her hair fall loose around her shoulders and he was overcome with the desire to run his fingers through her ebony locks which he was sure would be softer than silk. The mild curiosity about the texture of her hair he had experienced after their kiss was cut short was nothing compared to the longing he felt as a gust of wind from the open window lifted a few strands to dance playfully around her face. "Ares, are you alright?" she asked concernedly.

It took him a few moments to even realize she was addressing him. "Fine." He cleared his throat. "I'm fine. And you?"

She opened her mouth to speak, then closed it again, her gaze drifting downward and off to the side before returning to his face. "I have been well, thank you. Except...I haven't been able to stop thinking about our last encounter."

"Neither have I," he admitted.

"Well, then. There seems to be some sort of connection between us that cannot be explained. Do you think it would be worth pursuing?" she said matter-of-factly.

"Uh...," he was a bit stunned by her bluntness. He didn't think he'd ever heard someone describe exploring the possibility of a relationship so coldly, so analytically. That didn't stop him from acceding.

"Good. Then it's settled," Athena said briskly. She bit her full bottom lip, drawing his attention to her mouth. As though she could read his mind, she asked, "P-Perhaps we should seal the bargain with a kiss?"

She had reached him before he could even nod. With her less than a hairsbreadth away from him, he felt his heart begin to beat faster and his body tense. Recognizing the nervousness in her widened, green eyes and slightly parted lips, he understood that he would have to make the next advance. Slowly, cautiously, he bent his head to hers and gently covered her lips with his own.

This time he sought to cherish, brushing her lips lightly with his, kissing the cupid's bow of her mouth, the delicate line of her jaw, before delving past her parted lips to leisurely explore her mouth. She tasted rich and sweet and complex, like dark honey with infusions of wildflowers and fruit. Her gentle curves nestled perfectly against him, fitting to the hard planes of his chest as though they were designed to fit together.

Athena stayed passive under his tender assault, barely breathing as he slowly seduced her. She had meant it to be a simple kiss, a kiss of duty, to fulfill the prophecy. Having experienced the full force of his passion, she had thought she was prepared for anything. But this…she had never imagined anything quite like this. She simultaneously felt vulnerable and strong. While she trembled in his arms, her body shivering lightly in response to his touch and the pressure of his lips on hers, she read the suppressed desire in his hard, tensed muscles and knew he was just as affected by their kiss.

He gently lifted her hands from her sides and linked them around his neck before resuming their kiss. They stayed entwined for several moments before finally breaking apart when his hands began to wander too far.

"Ares…" she began.

He held up his hand to interrupt her before she said what he thought she would say. "Do not tell me you regret it."

"I wasn't about to," she said softly.

Ares studied her for a moment, as though considering the validity of her statement.

"I was going to ask if you might like to call on me tomorrow."

"I gather that our interview has concluded. Very well, Athena. Tomorrow," he replied.

She gently cradled his jaw in her hand and brought his lips down to hers for a soft kiss. "Tomorrow."

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OK. Chapter complete. NOW REVIEW!!! Much love, Cat.


	7. And Where Are All the Gods?

You've got to know by now that we're not just going to move into "Tomorrow". Silly readers, lack of time apart and inner contemplation is for other stories. If you haven't noticed that so far, go back and check. Each Athena-Ares confrontation chapter is followed by one when they are apart (sometimes more than one). In All's Fair, Athena has Artemis. In Once a Rake, she has Apollo. In Don't Judge, one could make the argument she has Apollo or the Fates, but for the most part she's doing it on her own. I liked it that way up to this point. On that note...

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"Athena, you've made me wonderfully happy," said the queen in response to the note she had received before Athena's arrival.

"Hera, nothing has happened yet...that is, nothing of importance..." began Athena.

"Nonsense," interrupted Hera. "I have waited for this day for years. I must say, it has taken my darling son quite a long time to mature and get over his infatuation with, well, what's the word?"

Athena smirked. "I think I know what you mean. But Ares and I are not a couple yet. I know what the prophecy says but perhaps the Fates were mistaken. How could he and I possibly...?"

Hera smiled. "Do you find my son attractive?" she asked.

"Well, yes, but I..."

"Don't think I haven't noticed you glancing at him over the years. The Fates were not incorrect. They never are. You belong together. You have just been too stubborn to realize it," said Hera, sipping her tea.

"But he... " started Athena.

"What? I'm stunned. I would have thought you more perceptive than that. It isn't as though your feelings aren't reciprocated. Trust me, I know my son and I know matters of the heart much better than that Aphrodite," she sniffed.

"It isn't enough," said Athena quietly.

"What isn't?" queried Hera.

"I want love," she revealed suddenly, before realizing what she had done and clamping a hand over her mouth.

"Once again, you have surprised me, little one," said Hera softly. "Yet that too will come with time. You'll see." At Athena's skeptical look, Hera sighed. "He does desire you, does he not?"

A faint blush stole across the apples of her cheeks, bringing a pretty glow to her face. "Yes, I believe so," she murmured.

Hera's eyes narrowed. "Exactly how intimate have you been?"

"A kiss," exclaimed Athena quickly. "Nothing more than a kiss."

"Do you want to be with my son?" Hera asked.

"Yes," Athena answered without any hesitation, blushing at her obvious eagerness.

"Well, then. I'll see what I can do."

-----

"What is it this time, brother?" asked Hephaestus wearily.

"I need someone to talk to," said Ares as he entered the workshop.

"Another nymph?" asked Hephaestus as he heated iron in the forge to soften it.

"No, I..."

"Not my wife again, I trust," teased Hephaestus, not unkindly. The brothers had quickly reconciled once the first bloom of love had worn away and Hephaestus had seen his beautiful wife for what she really was.

"Never," replied Ares with a shudder. "Actually, it is..."

"Nereid? Sorceress? Mortal?"

"Would you stop interrupting?" said Ares mock-exasperatedly.

Hephaestus smiled. "Fine, who then?"

"Athena."

"Athena?"

Ares frowned. "What is so surprising about that?"

"I always suspected you were interested in her, but I never imagined that she..." said Hephaestus.

"What?" challenged Ares.

"Well you can't deny she isn't like the other paramours you've chosen for yourself," explained Hephaestus. "Does she share your feelings?"

"What feelings?" said Ares irritably, stung that his brother would consider Athena beyond his reach.

"I naturally assumed that if you were pursuing Athena it would be something serious. Permanent," he emphasized.

"I hadn't thought about it," Ares said, his brows furrowing.

"She isn't like the others, brother," Hephaestus reminded him.

"So you keep telling me." Ares paced a bit, picking up a sword from the display rack and examining it. "I...I know she isn't like the others," he said quietly.

"Do you want her?" asked Hephaestus.

"Yes," answered Ares without a moment of further consideration.

"Well, then. I'll see what I can do."

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OK. Obviously the part with Hera made more sense as Hera is the god of marriage. But who would Ares go to as a male counterpart? Exactly. So I sent him to his next closest blood relative. The endings matched nicely, but I have no idea what Hephaestus is going to do to help Ares. Oh, well. I'll work it out. I always do.

PLEASE REVIEW!!!

Happy Holidays!

Much love, Cat.


	8. Up Where the Mountains Meet the Heavens

What will make you happy? More importantly, what will make you review!?! Should I write about politics, sex, CHEESE!?! Please inform me as to what you would like because I am completely at a loss at the moment in divining why you all seem to have abandoned me. Ah well. On with the story. A timely date as Valentine's day is just around the corner.

PLEASE REVIEW!!! Much love, Cat.

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Up Where The Mountains Meet the Heavens Above

"I'm here to..." Ares began.

"Yes, yes," said the housekeeper briskly. "I know what you're here for. Well, come in then."

Ares blinked at her tone. She made him feel like a criminal, no, a lecher, when all he was doing was taking Athena out for the evening. Though, if he were honest, while his motives were completely pure, his thoughts were not. Even with their relationship progressing, he had been plagued with thoughts of her while he woke, ate, slept, breathed. After their meeting yesterday, her scent had clung to his skin, maddening him. He swallowed hard as he followed her through the door and saw Athena glide gracefully down the staircase. "You look...," he cleared his throat, "you look incredible."

A slow smile spread across her face. "Thank you, Ares. That's very sweet of you," she murmured, the soft look in her eyes doing something strange to his stomach.

She placed her hand lightly on his arm, the gentle touch seeming to radiate warmth that spread through his entire body. The feel of her bare skin against his, even in this most innocent of contexts was affecting him as though he were a young man in the middle of his first encounter with a female. Wasn't she supposed to be the inexperienced one? Instead, he would describe the slant of her eyes with their thick, lush lashes to be positively seductive. Entrancing. He shook himself out of his fantasies and resurfaced from the dark gray pools of her eyes before he drowned in them.

"Shall we?" he invited, leading her to the door.

Athena smiled that little secret smile again and followed him.

-----

"Why are we up here?" asked Athena, the wind whipping her hair around her face. She looked like an ethereal air spirit. He once more marveled that she could be so strong when her long, graceful limbs gave the impression that she would blow away at a particularly strong gust of wind.

"You'll see," he replied, taking her hand in his and leading her to the top of the mountain. He waited for a moment, letting her brace herself on his arm while she maneuvered over the rocks.

"Oh, Ares, it's beautiful," she whispered, taking in the view of the setting sun as it bathed in the clear, blue waters of the ocean. The soothing pink and purple hues of the ending day lit the sky and gave her a sense of peace.

"I come up here when I need to gain some perspective," he said quietly at her side. "We control so much of our lives, tame beasts and nature to our will, wield awesome power, but sitting here reminds me that I am but a part of the universe."

Turning her head to look at him, she realized that at some point he had wrapped his arms around her waist. She leaned back against his chest and let him rest his chin on the top of her head as they stood there and took in the beauty of the sunset.

-----

"What now?" asked Athena as he drew back from her and began to lead her back down the mountain.

"I thought we could go somewhere different," he said with a mischievous look in his eyes.

"How different?" she questioned uncertain she liked what he was thinking at the moment. When they were children and he got that look in his eyes she invariably regretted listening to his suggestions.

"Somewhere I've never taken anyone before," he answered evasively.

While a part of her thrilled at that, her more logical side reminded her that while the setting might be different, Ares was still the same womanizer he had always been and she had no reason to think that he saw her as different. But tonight she didn't quite feel like listening to that voice of reason, and smiled as she followed him down the path.

-----

Unable to think up a coherent response for once, Athena merely laughed. "I don't think anyone has ever gone to the Underworld for a romantic encounter before."

Ares just smiled and offered her his hand.

She took it, a thrill running from his hand to hers and down her spine at his strong, reassuring grip as she boarded the boat. Still, the rocking of the boat on the choppy waters of the River Styx unbalanced her and she tumbled into his arms, grateful for his quick reflexes when he immediately caught her against him. Her breathing unsteady, Athena tipped her head back to look into his eyes, the feel of his hard chest against her doing funny things to her stomach. Piercing through the desolation of the cold gray river and the thick fog were the warm, dark brown pools of his eyes and the warmth of his body. Shaken, she silently took her seat beside him, allowing him to adjust her wrap around her shoulders and draw her closer to him.


	9. Til the End of the Night

For **MiyaChama**, another kissing scene.

To **charlotte1123**, you didn't sign the review, but thank you very much. Comments like that mean a lot to me.

I hope y'all like it. PLEASE REVIEW!!!

Much love, Cat.

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"Son!" boomed Hades.

"Father," responded Ares, clasping the Lord of the Underworld to him tightly as Athena watched in amazement.

"Father?" she questioned weakly.

"Athena, you grow more beautiful every day," said Hades, taking her hands in his and bowing over them in a show of respect. "I had hoped you would be the one to finally get my irresponsible son to finally settle down with one woman."

"Father, I thought we spoke about this," Ares interrupted quickly. "We are just," he cleared his throat, "ah, exploring the possibility of a romantic relationship at the moment."

Seeing Ares' embarrassment, eased her own nervousness. She slid easily into a low curtsy. "I thank you, my lord."

"Now, now, none of that," insisted Hades, keeping her hand in his as she rose. "I have prepared the room for you as you asked, son."

"Thank you, father," Ares said, smoothly slipping in a taking Athena's hand in his only to have Hades place his hand on the small of her back and guide her down the hallway to the right of the throne room.

She turned back to glance at him with a little reassuring smile.

"Now, I have been meaning to discuss with you the changes I want to implement in my kingdom. Hera wishes to renovate the…"

By the time they had reached their destination, Hades and Athena had finished discussing everything from décor to the subduing of unruly souls to the rearmament of the kingdom with peace-loving Persephone gone.

Athena forgot all of that the moment she saw the room. She lifted her hand to her mouth, and her eyes shone with wonder and appreciation. "It's just so…I couldn't have imagined anything more…"

"Perfect?" Ares supplied arrogantly.

She swung around to face him, belatedly realizing that somehow she had forgotten he was there after his father had monopolized her time. Hades was distractingly charming when he wished to be, and after only a short time with that charm turned upon her, Athena could see how Hera had fallen in love with him and Ares had inherited that devastating charm.

Smiling, Hades slipped her hand onto Ares' arm. "Enjoy," he said in his deep voice before disappearing almost silently into the caverns of the Underworld.

Left alone, Ares watched her absorb every aspect of the room he had had prepared for their romantic interlude. He had chosen a room with an especially high ceiling that just happened to be naturally studded with thousands of lovely sapphires and diamonds that mimicked a clear, night sky. The gems caught the light cast by torches arranged strategically around the room so as only to offer enough light to keep the room reasonably well-lit without ruining the romantic ambiance. The floor was an enchanted silvery pool of water that hardened with touch and acted as a mirror for the brilliant gems. A cozy table was spread with a hot meal and flickering candles that cast their glow over only the table.

"Shall we?" he murmured softly, interrupting her thoughts.

She smiled and allowed him to lead her forward.

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They spent hours talking, the amount of time flying by as they discussed a wide range of topics from military strategy, books, music, and themselves. Sitting across from him as he occasionally stroked her hand with his thumb, sending pleasant tremors through her, she fell ever deeper in love with him. "Are you going to kiss me again?" she asked suddenly.

Ares felt pinned by her gaze, her beautiful gray eyes sparkling with humor and also a hint of desire that he couldn't mistake. "Excuse me?" he queried.

"I have been told that I am very perceptive, Ares," she murmured with a secretive little smile that built a pool of heat in the pit of his stomach, resonated outwards, and warmed him again from the outside through shivers of want that seemed to run over his skin in slowly arousing waves. "You have been staring at my mouth for the past few minutes as though you wanted to devour me."

"Athena…" He couldn't deny his need. But did he have the courage to act on it? Ares had never felt unsure of himself with a woman before. But then again he had never dealt with anyone like her. She could tame him, break him, if she ever realized the true level of control she had over him. While that thought scared him more than the torments of Tartarus, it was also incredibly stimulating.

He couldn't shake the feeling that she belonged to him. Despite the passion in her kiss, there was something decidedly unsophisticated, innocent in the feel of her soft lips acquiescing to the pressure of his. He was certain that he was the first man she had ever kissed. It wasn't that Athena was not attractive by any means, but only that, well, he couldn't imagine her letting any man get close enough to her to try. Any man but him. Perhaps it was simply his natural possessiveness not allowing him to even entertain the possibility that Athena could have ever been held by another man. Such thoughts drifted away as she nestled closer to him, sliding her hands slowly up his chest. In response to such gentleness, he lifted his hand and tenderly stroked the side of her face before letting his hand cup the soft but firm line of her jaw.

"Ares," she whispered visibly shaken by this new approach of his. For a moment her mind had run rampant with images, fantasies really, of him actually fulfilling her dreams and being the man she had secretly been longing for ever since her rational brain had been ensnared by her first glimpse of the promise of true love.


	10. The Way I Feel I Might Lose Control

Yay for my new youtube playlist. It's great for writing.

I mostly listened to (in order) Caledonia by Celtic Woman(Lisa Kelly),

You Picked Me by A Fine Frenzy

You and I by Ingrid Michaelson, to write this chapter.

**PLEASE REVIEW!!! Tell me what you liked and what you didn't. Much love, Cat.**

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Panting, Ares finally lifted his head from hers. He gently cupped her jaw in his hand. _Gaia, but he wanted to lift her into his arms and just take her back to his room. _But considering what had happened last time and given how difficult it had been to enter the Underworld, he thought better of it. Besides, he reminded himself, he wanted more from her. What, he wasn't quite sure, but he sensed that there was something more to be gained by engaging in an affair with Athena and he was determined to find out what it was. He laid his cheek atop her head as he struggled to calm his breathing, cognizant of the fact that her soft curves were still pressed tightly against him, fitting perfectly against the hard angles of his body, but reluctant to change their position despite the discomfort it was causing him. "Athena," he said huskily.

She lifted her head, meeting his gaze with heavy-lidded eyes darkened with desire.

He swallowed hard before continuing, almost giving into the longing he read in her face. _Tartarus, this was difficult._ If he ever survived this, he promised he would savor every moment with her. But it would better not to think about that now before he became distracted. "Would you like to dance?" he asked, his voice almost as deep as his father's with the need to let her do as she clearly wished, given her unwavering gaze on his lips, and kiss him again. "Athena?" he prompted, his voice not smooth like Hades', but rough with desire as he helplessly bent his head to hers, unable to resist any longer when it went so far against his natural inclinations.

"Yes," Athena whispered when his lips had almost reached hers. Just a fraction closer and she would have been able to feel those soft, firm lips ardently pressed against her own, simultaneously worshipping and possessing, teasing and attacking. _Gaia, but she loved his kisses. _She had to stay focused though. She wanted more than kisses, more than an affair, she wanted...

He halted, taking a moment to collect himself before reaching down and drawing her hand from her side and lifting it to his lips, tenderly brushing his lips against the soft skin on the back of her hand, his eyes holding hers captive for the duration, his warmth breath against her skin making her determination not to give in to his charm falter. Just as her knees began to grow weak and she thought she might embarrass herself by collapsing and sagging against him, he slipped his fingers through hers and led her to the pool of water.

"Ares," she murmured uncertainly.

"Trust me," he said with a smile, a wickedly teasing glint in his eyes.

If only he knew that she would follow him anywhere. She was amazed when upon stepping into the pool, she actually stepped onto it, her delicate sandals remaining quite dry. They lived in a world with extraordinary things that mere mortals could never even conceive of but even she had never seen anything like this. "Ares?"

"You didn't think there was just the ceiling did you?" he queried. He grinned, drawing her into his arms, keeping a hold of her hand and swinging her around so she naturally placed her other hand around his neck to keep her balance. He settled his hand against her waist.

She was graceful when walking or riding or on the battlefield but she was hopeless when it came to dancing. He seemed to sense this and established an easy rhythm, drawing her so close that his every movement was hers. Athena relaxed against him, letting her head fall against his chest and letting him lead her in circles around the dance floor. "Did I mention how beautiful you look?" he murmured against her hair.

"Hmn," she hummed, "I think your exact words were 'you look incredible'."

"You look beautiful, then," he said softly.

Athena tipped her head up to look at him. How could such simple words sound so weighted with meaning when he said them? Was she imagining it all or did he also feel the pull between them? She didn't know when it had happened but suddenly every fragment of her being wanted desperately for that hidden meaning to be there, for him to be the man she spent the rest of her life with. Instead of voicing these thoughts, she merely stroked the side of his face lightly with her hand, pressing a soft kiss against his lips before nestling her head back against his chest and reveling in the feel of his arms around her and the knowledge that at least for the time being, in this enchanted dream world, he was hers.


	11. Besando mis labios, acariciando mi piel

Kitty wants reviews. Angry baby tiger bats at screen with adorable tiny paw. Rarr...

PLEASE REVIEW!!! Much love, Cat.

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He had been the bane of her existence from the moment she sprang from her father's head. As they grew to know each other those feelings only intensified and coupled together with a confusing mixture of desire and other unidentifiable emotions. And recently she had learned that they were meant to be together, a simple statement that had shattered so much of what she thought she knew about her identity and his. She supposed she had always seen him in some respects as no more than a child, barbaric and wild and driven by lust and his baser passions unable to grapple with serious matters or deeper emotions. She supposed he had always seen her as nothing more than a repressed, sexless fountain of knowledge, judgmental and unapproachable and driven by her need to gather information and to always have the solution, the answer to a problem, unable to indulge in her desires beyond occasionally giving into frustration.

But that had quickly changed. Living through the evolution of her feelings made the experience seem like it had been gradual, but considering how much time had passed, she realized that he had managed to destroy her preconceptions in a matter of days and hopefully, she had done the same for him. She had to have or else he would not be holding her so close to him now, softly murmuring nonsensical compliments and endearments in her ear. Or would he?

Ares pulled her closer, so that her curves molded to the hard lines of his body and the dance became more of sensual embrace than pleasant diversion. She could feel his chest rise and fall with his every breath and was conscious of the fact that her breathing naturally adjusted to fit his, so their movement were synchronized and they seemed to be one being. He buried his face in her hair, inhaling the sweet scent of roses, his breath teasing her senses and making her body go weak. She felt deliciously drowsy as though her bones had dissolved as her body sank against him. This caused him to catch her even tighter to him, so tight that she could feel the effect their closeness was having on him, an effect that spread a lazy warmth through her from where she was pressed against him that pooled in her belly. She murmured his name softly.

He lifted his head to look down at her.

At the absence of his head against the top of hers she looked up.

Deep brown met stormy gray as they stared into each others passion-darkened eyes, each believing in that moment that they would willing drown in the others gaze.

He cleared his throat. "Athena?" he prompted.

She realized she had said his name, quite without purpose aside from enjoying the feel of it as it passed over her lips. "Ares."

He read something in her gaze, something more than desire, an acquiescence of sorts. He bent his head to press a gentle kiss against her neck. She repeated his name. He was quickly discovering that it was his new favorite sound. His lips moved to her shoulder.

"Ares."

He reined in the raging lust pounding through him and gently tugged at the sleeve of her gown until the curve of one perfect breast appeared. He brushed his lips across the delicate flesh he had revealed. She shivered against him and repeated his name. As he continued his caresses, his name became a chant of sorts, a plea for more that wrapped around him, cast its enchantment over him until he found himself powerless to resist her bidding and the pull of her allure any longer.

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We are entering M territory. I will probably consult with my beta before going further, but first I need to know...will you follow me into M territory (it necessitates a switch of categories so you will probably need to put this on Story Alert or bookmark the page if you want to find me afterwards...that is if I do make a switch).

PLEASE REVIEW!!!

Much love, Cat.


	12. But If I Take That Chance Right Now

I give more of myself for fewer reviews. If you really liked the story, people who have alerted and favorited, you would review (with constructive criticism).  
*Strokes baby tiger* we will be sitting here waiting for **CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM**. Until then, you get the in-between chapter I was going to write anyway.

PLEASE REVIEW!!! Much love, Cat

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_Chapter dedicated to mirrorOfsin and Phillia-Calliope and Bards of Bedlam_

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She tilted her head back, arching her neck to give him greater access. He bent his head, kissing her delicate skin softly, lightly tracing it with his battle-roughened hands, and nuzzling his nose against her inhaling deeply of the sweet, flowery scent that seemed to emanate from her like some elemental sweetness conjured forth to reflect her character. _He needed something to lay her down against_, he thought mindlessly, keeping his eyes shut but running through the possibilities as he continued to hold her close. Ares paused. _What was he thinking?_ Suddenly he remembered where he was, who he was with, what he was actually doing. "Athena," he croaked. "Athena," he repeated gruffly, cupping her face when she refused to open her eyes and continued to emit a little whine from the back of her throat that was tormenting him, testing his resolve and quickly making him forget why he had called a halt to their lovemaking..._she looked so luscious...maybe one more kiss_... As lifted his gaze to her now-opened eyes preparing to settle his lips against hers once more he caught the reflection of the sparkling gems in the ceiling in her eyes. "Tartarus," he muttered under his breath.

Ares took her by the hand before he could change his mind and led her back through the Underworld.

"Where are we going?" she asked breathlessly as she tried to keep pace with him while he darted back and forth through the many caverns and tunnels.

"We need to get out of here," he said simply, his body too tense to manage anything else at the moment.

She adjusted her dress as they made their way through the kingdom, wondering why he had stopped once more. _Could it be that he did not find her desirable?_

He spared a glance back at her, needing reassurance that she was behind him other than the fact that he could still feel her hand in his. In his rattled state he felt so sensitized that to his fevered brain the air that cleared a path for him as he swept through his father's kingdom felt like the light caress of her hands on his skin. If he didn't get her out of here soon, he might not be able to contain his desires for much longer. Already they were railing at being chained, desperate to be unleashed so that they might take hold of his form in order to assuage their and his needs.

Reaching the side of the river he whistled to Charon. The ferryman merely narrowed his eyes and rowed his way across as slowly as ever. Ares took a deep breath, forcing air into a chest so contracted with tension that he could barely expand it enough to take a breath. She pressed up against his side. "Ares, are you alright?" she asked huskily. He took in her still-mussed, dark hair, and still-swollen full lips and wondered that he didn't simply ravish her where they stood convention be damned. He was losing his mind.

_How could he expect her to remain passive when he looked at her like that?_ Did he think she was immune to desire...that she could not read what was so clearly written on his face, in his eyes? She wanted to run her fingers through that silky, black hair, feel it curl slightly around her fingers. She wanted his breath hot on her neck as he hoarsely whispered things to her she would have trouble believing in a more reasonable state of mind. She wanted to explore the hard body she had felt against her own, learn the outline of each rise and crevice, feel his muscles shift excitingly beneath her touch as they had when she gripped his shoulders earlier.

"Well, do you want to go across or not?"

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Bet you want to know what happens...

Constructive Criticism

Much love, Cat


	13. If You Don't Turn and Walk Away

People should not speak if they say something mean that stops the writer from continuing with the story...so you can thank that person for the delay with the update (and also some tests and things I've had going on). After a little discussion session with my beta I'm reading to continue my transition to the M-rated chapter. I promise, I've finally got the plan right (I think). As always, **PLEASE REVIEW!!!** Your opinions are important to me. Be sure to include squee worthy ideas and not so squee worthy ideas for the next chapter.

Much love, Cat

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to The Dragon Mage: Thanks for getting it.

_Chapter dedicated to MiyaChama and Bards of Bedlam_

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_Calm yourself, Athena._ She could feel the stiffness of her spine, of every line of her body. It only seemed to heighten the tension she imagined she felt between her and Ares, never allowing him to stray far from her mind or her consciousness. What was certainly not helpful was the motion of the boat which brought them periodically into contact, light brushes, but in the close confines of the boat, ones that seemed to singe her skin. The boat rocked to the side and his thigh pressed against hers so she could feel the hard muscle beneath his skin flex and tighten when she turned to face him, her breath lightly wafting over his neck. She immediately faced forward only to have the boat veer to the other side so that she was thrown against him. Her breast came into contact with his forearm and his eyes flared. She tried her best to scoot away from him and gain control of herself. She managed to put about a hand's width of space between them before another wave rocked the small boat carrying far too many passengers given its capacity almost threw her off.

Luckily, his hands quickly reached out to capture her waist, hauling her back against him and planting her between his thighs, imprisoning her and keeping her from moving at all, never mind falling out of the boat.

"Ares, I don't think that this is...," she began uncertainly.

He took a deep breath. "Hush."

"I'm in no danger of falling out. If you'll just let me return to where I was, I'll..."

Ares clenched his jaw tightly. "There is no way in Tartarus that you are as uncomfortable as I am right now so please just stop arguing and _sit still_," he ordered, his voice soft but offering no room for questioning or disagreement.

She bit her lip before doing as she was bid, seeing no better option than remaining where she was for the time being. _Really, it wasn't so bad if she just sat straight._ Still, she felt the warmth of his body seep through the thin cloth of her chemise. His hands still rested on her waist, causing heat to pool in her belly. His breath drifted over the top of her head from time to time. She imagined he was molten fire, hardened into an unyielding metal but at any moment ready to burst into flame. Despite her best efforts she felt herself naturally relaxing into him.

His hands on her waist moved to wrap around her stomach, holding her tightly against him. If he had to be in agony, he might as well find something to enjoy about it. Gaia, but she was perfect. Every line of her body curved naturally into his, as though they had been built to complement each other perfectly. Her gentle curves against his hardening body was doing nothing to help him maintain his control but did do quite a bit towards conjuring up some intriguing fantasies he fully intended to carry out as soon as possible.

Landing on shore could not come soon enough. Immediately he brought them back to her home, having decided halfway through blinking her back to his bed that he should do the honorable thing and escort her to the safety of her own domain. He did allow himself to drop a quick kiss on her lips.

Athena had no intention of being left at her doorstep with a quick farewell. An agony burned through her that she desperately needed assuaged and she would not allow the one man capable of easing it to escape her once more. A woman had the same needs a man did. She slid her hands up his chest to encircle his neck and draw his lips back down to hers for a kiss that...lingered...

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I'm not holding off on the M-rated goodness to be mean. I'm just not in a very "romantic" mood which is what this story requires. However, I've got an upcoming trip to the City of Lovers so hopefully that should get me going again. Ah, Paris, finally a use for 6 years of French lessons.

PLEASE REVIEW!!!

Much love, Cat


	14. I Could Fall in Love With You

Paris was lovely but didn't provide much inspiration for anything but a desire to write novels about the wives and mistresses of the kings of France since Philippa Gregory and The Tudors on Showtime (which I need to get the DVD's of) stole one of my favorite eras of history. I brainstormed on the plane but only came up with ideas for other stories. I have been very stressed lately, but I've had a chill day today and I'm ready to write. So, please read, enjoy, and **PLEASE REVIEW!!!** Or you're damn well not getting an update anytime soon because these M rated chapters take a lot out of me and I need some appreciation for my efforts.

Much love, Cat.

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Thanks so very, very much to my beta Bards of Bedlam for getting me over my stumbling block in the middle of this chapter.

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"So, Ares, what do you think we should…"

He cut off her words, taking advantage of her parted lips and crushing them beneath his own, sliding his tongue into her mouth and ruthlessly claiming it and her as his, delving into it with all of the unleashed desire he had been keeping banked. His hands roamed possessively over her curves in a familiar way that he might have worried would shock her, but he found he could no longer care. Reason and all sense of propriety had flown from his brain. He was damn tired of being a gentleman and threw himself full force into the same reckless energy that overtook him in the heat of battle.

Even though her brain feebly reminded her that it was impossible for her heart to explode from her chest or for her to expire in the face of his fiery assault, it was no match for her body and a part of her she had never known which seemed to instinctually respond to him. He released her mouth only to trail soft, heated kisses down her neck. If he hadn't been pinning her body to the wall with his own, she would have crumpled before him. His breath on her neck was making her a bit delirious and she wasn't entirely certain that such feelings were healthy. As she began to rethink her decision to acquiesce to the demands of that innate response and the idealistic voice that seemed to be gaining confidence as their relationship progressed, he swept her up into his arms and suddenly she was being carried into his room and laid upon his bed.

His treatment of her had softened for a moment. The way he had laid her down had been almost reverential and he drew back to study her face for a moment, his dark eyes revealing nothing. Far from feeling uncomfortable, she felt warmed by his scrutiny as though he was trying to… "It seems like we've been here before," she teased. "Do you think you'll trap me here if you continue to stare at me for long enough?"

Ares smiled, but the seductive gleam in his eyes was decidedly wicked enough to tighten her stomach with excitement and just a hint of trepidation. "Merely contemplating how best to introduce you to overwhelming passion that will leave you too weak to move, too stunned to speak, too suffused with pleasure to think and eager as hell to do it again. Trust me, darling, entrapment is the furthest thing from my mind."

Her lips parted slightly. Whatever she might have imagined he would answer in response to her teasing, the reality had far surpassed it. Athena started to speak and then closed her mouth when no words would venture forth. She found herself trembling slightly, very aware of her breath leaving her body and new air taking its place as he lightly traced her lower lip with his thumb. He smiled knowingly and instead of getting riled up she could only contemplate his own mouth and how desperately she suddenly wanted him to kiss her again. The knowledge that the train of her thoughts was the height of foolishness did not stop them from coming to her in rapid succession. It was as though she had abandoned all of her lofty words and careful course of study and was operating on instinct, attuned to every heightened sensation. She shut her eyes, wanting to block out the rest of the stimuli, focus in only on his touch, on the distinct feeling that he could pounce on her at any moment yet held himself back and dealt with her with aching tenderness.

In response to gentle pressure on her neck, she tilted her head back for him, seemingly waiting endlessly to feel the heated kiss he pressed to the base of her neck. She clutched his shoulders, starting when he broke away and smiled into her eyes, lifting the back of his hand to her face, letting his fingers learn the softness of her skin, the curve of her cheek. Her breathing was growing more erratic. The man was barely touching her and she was about to faint from the intensity of what she was feeling. _Gaia, but he made her crazy. How could he just sit there, affecting her this way while staying so aloof, so unmoved?_

Athena launched herself at him, pressing passionate, unrestrained, untutored kisses in a random pattern to his lips, his eyelids, his cheek, the bridge of his nose, his jaw. He caught her against him, chuckling slightly, letting her do as she would while continuing his slow seduction, running his hands very lightly over the curves of her body while she tried with her kisses to push him to move faster, further. "It will be better if we slow down," Ares murmured as he helped her to pull his tunic over his head.

She shook her head, running her hands worshipfully over his chest. "I don't want to slow down. I feel as though I've been motionless for decades. Any slower and I might as well be moving backwards."

He laughed. Then stopped, sobering. "Are you sure you want this?"

Athena paused as well, his tone breaking through the haze of her desire. She knew what he meant, that he was considering the possible repercussions of their actions. Her mind and her heart and her body were all telling her conflicting things. She bit her lower lip, not wanting to answer, not wanting to have to say what she should, not wanting to have the face what would happen if she did. Instead of speaking she ran her hand over his arm, feeling the muscles flex slightly as he clenched his fist to maintain control as he waited for her response. Athena smiled slightly, thinking how this was not how she wished to finally have him in her control. She threaded her fingers through his and lifted their entwined hands to her mouth, pressing a slow, soft kiss to the inside of his wrist. He seemed to study her for a moment, but before she comprehend the look in his eyes, it was gone, replaced by a heated intensity tempered by a teasing glint as he pulled her hand down and repeated her kiss on the inside of her wrist.

Ares knew the issue would not resolve itself simply because they refused to speak of it, but found he didn't care. He did not have the necessary willpower to deny his own needs nor the desires of the beautiful woman before him. He rolled her to the side, so he was on top of her, caging her between his arms braced on either side of her head. She playfully arched upward biting his shoulder lightly. He pressed a sweet kiss on her collarbone. She tore at his remaining garments. He gently eased off her dress, allowing it to fall off the bed.

Maintaining eye contact with her as he did so, he lifted her hand to his lips, holding it imprisoned in his grasp, almost too tightly, and pressed a hard kiss to a knuckle, closing his eyes as he did so. She lifted her other hand to trail down his back in both a caress and embrace. He released her hand to thrust his through her hair and kiss her deeply, entering her so swiftly she had no time to dwell on pain before pleasure overcame it. Her nails dug into his back as she clung to him. The pleasure melded with pain as he made good on his earlier promise and tormented her with the same aching tenderness as before. She screamed as she came apart in his arms. He shouted her name as he collapsed upon her. They needed no words.

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It's a different sort of style for an M-rated chapter for me. I like to keep things interesting for myself as a writer and for my audience so I hope you like it. There may or may not be another M-rated chapter. It depends on the response I get how long I'll continue to extend the story as well as future consultations with my beta.

**PLEASE REVIEW!!! Much love, Cat.**


	15. You're Stuck on Me and My Laughing Eyes

I do not pretend that I only read what occupies the highest strata of literature. In fact, I'm rather proud of the fact that I don't because I think a healthy balance of what is available across the spectrum of the printed word helps you to develop a sense of what is good reading material. I certainly try to use that experience in bringing you what I feel to be decent stories. I have no illusions about the quality of my work, especially earlier offerings before I had really developed a sense of how to go about writing a full story (not that I have now). I do hope that you have come to read my work with the expectation that it will be written with a good deal of passion, intellect, and class. I make it a point not to include in these scenes what I personally find offending and detracting from a larger body of work. Now that I'm done with that, let's proceed.

**As always, PLEASE REVIEW!!! Much love, Cat.**

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"EOS was the rosy-fingered goddess of the dawn. Eos rose up into the sky from the river Okeanos at the start of each day, and with her rays of light dispersed the mists of night."

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As she drifted out of contented slumber, Athena became conscious of the fact that she was enveloped by heat. He was a veritable furnace of warmth against her back, his arm a heavy weight across her waist. Having never slept beside another person it should have felt awkward to be nestled against him but instead it felt natural. She felt protected, cared for, loved. Loved? Where had that come from? She couldn't allow herself to be so foolish, to get caught up in the…the… Her mind was taking rather longer than usual to collect her thoughts into coherent sentences. Athena sighed, snuggling back against him and luxuriating in the pleasant feelings coursing through her, satisfied for the moment to let her worries rest. There would be time enough in the morning for contemplation. These few perfect moments with him were hers and hers alone.

Her shifting awaking him, Ares pulled her closer so he could nuzzle his face against her neck. "Not tired?" he asked. As gods it wasn't necessary for them to sleep to recuperate from the day's activities but with an endless lifetime before them, indulging in relatively brief moments of rest was an acceptable way to pass a portion of their time.

She turned in his arms to face him. "Are you?"

Pulling back and stretching out his arms, he let out a complacent yawn. Seemingly satisfied, Ares leaned over to kiss her gently. "I could be persuaded not to be."

Athena bit her lip but couldn't prevent the smile that broke through. Looking at him with her eyes sparkling like that, she was just so irresistibly adorable that he kissed her again. Her mouth was coated with warm honey, the scent of lush roses seemed to rise from her skin and he could feel his willingness to be distracted from sleep increasingly exponentially with every second that passed. He opened his eyes to find her staring at her hand resting lightly against his chest.

She marveled at the sight of her pale fingers with their round, tapered nails against the contrast of the healthy tan of his skin. Every fiber of his being marked him as an outdoorsman while she preferred the quiet contentment of a warm bed and a good book. In times of strife she could be the fiercest of combatants but lately she had spent the majority of her time poring over treaties and treatises. If she hadn't been able to feel the rapid beating of his heart mingled with the rise and fall of his chest and he took in a breath she would have thought she was looking at a stranger's hand. How could he possibly want her?

And yet, as improbable as it was, he did. He smiled and covered her hand with his, lifting it to his lips. "What are you thinking about?"

"Nothing at the moment," she replied.

"You seemed to be considering something very intently. Are you sure you don't want to tell me?" he asked, pressing his mouth to her shoulder.

"Truly, I'm not thinking of any…anything," she said abashedly, her tone and blush giving her away. And truly she hadn't been when he posed the question, for as soon as her eyes met his, her thoughts had dissipated as quickly as the mists touched by Eos' bright sunlight in the early morning. Those eyes… It really wasn't fair for a man to have such beautiful, captivating dark eyes. She supposed the long-lashed pair that would have been the pride of many a woman, were needed to balance out the harsh planes of his aristocratic face.

"I have ways of making you confess, you know," he teased. He rolled her underneath him, gripping her hip and burying his other hand in her dark hair as it spilled across the pillow. "Tell me," he growled threateningly against her throat, the hand at her hip wandering up to caress her breast.

"No!" she cried, laughing, and pretending to push him away, though they both knew if she had truly wanted to it wouldn't have taken much effort on her part. They were well matched physically, both in an intimate sense and in terms of strength. However, they had established, for the time being, an unspoken agreement that they'd pretend there was nothing extraordinary about themselves…that they didn't have responsibilities, roles to live up to.

Athena sighed in delight as his mouth closed over hers and he braced his legs on either side of her, slowly relaxing his weight onto her. She wrapped her arms around him, enjoying the feeling of being lightly crushed, urging him closer with such eagerness that it would seem as though she were trying to fuse herself with him. He grunted approvingly as she let her fingers wander up from his back to his hair, her fingernails scraping lightly over his scalp. Showing greater restraint, he casually coaxed her lips apart, massaging her tongue with his until moisture pooled in her mouth. When he had succeeded in leaving her subdued and acquiescent, he pulled back and looked at her inquiringly. Satisfied that her only protests would be confined to her displeasure at him ending the kiss, he patiently awaited her response.

Regaining a hold of herself, Athena threw her head back and laughed. "Alright," she relented. "Alright! I give in. How could I not when you argue so persuasively?" He had folded his hands in his lap and looked like a child waiting to be told a story…an arresting child whose presence seemed to dwarf the space around him. "I wasn't thinking about anything. I can't think when you look at me like that. Your eyes…" She expected him to mock her faltering speech but instead he just grinned disarmingly, looking altogether far too pleased with himself

"It's quite natural, darling. Nothing to worry about. Many women find themselves overcome with the urge to swoon when…"

Reaching back, she snatched a pillow off the bed and promptly whacked him in the shoulder with it.

He lowered his gaze disapprovingly. "That wasn't very nice," he admonished. "Apologize."

"No," she said mischievously.

"Apologize," he repeated, his eyes filling the playful spirit that coated her voice.

-----

Sorry this took so long. I wanted to deliver an even longer chapter, but in the interest of getting an update out sooner than later, this will have to do for now. Trust that once I get over a few hurdles I know what I'm doing and updates will come faster.

PLEASE REVIEW!!!

Much love, Cat


	16. Everything That I've Been Dreaming Of

Hello, my loves! I have worked very, very hard to write this nice long chapter for you. I would like lots of lots of lovely long reviews in return. :) I really love where this story has been going, though I might have to edit some of the beginning which I love considerably less. Regardless, thank you for reading. It makes me oh so very happy. Maybe one day I'll be published and you can buy my books and put them up on the shelves. Or take them to read in bed or cuddled up in a nook somewhere. Whatever you like.

As always, I hope you enjoy the chapter. **PLEASE REVIEW!!!**

Much love, Cat.

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She pushed lightly at his shoulder, settling over him when he obediently fell back against the bed. Ares smiled when she drew the blanket up over them both. He couldn't help but be amused that she was still shy about the intimacy of them seeing each other unclothed after what had transpired thus far. Reverently, he reached up to stroke her hair and let it slide easily through his fingers. It was so soft and clean-smelling, luxuriously spilling over his hands, as cool and light as tresses of a sea nymph. Inhaling the scent was like breathing in the pure, untainted air on a crisp day in late winter. She bent her head down to his and he stilled as her hair fell over his shoulder and brushed the side of his face. It felt like a caress. The muscles in his entire body tightened.

He'd been driven by a similar feeling before, the initial excitement of holding a new partner in his arms and learning the unique characteristics of her form sustaining his desire. But that had only lasted for a few short interludes, before the novelty wore off. He'd never before had the instinctual knowledge that he would time and time again enjoy making the same discoveries about a particular woman. Feeling the smooth, vaguely untouchable petal-like texture of her skin, he thought he might be content to sate his senses on just her hair and skin for years to come. The knowledge should have frightened him, should have made him wary as he skimmed his hands over her waist, the curve of her hip, but it was not enough to prevent him from recklessly throwing himself into the whirlpool, regardless of the danger. The tormenting pleasure she conjured up so effortlessly was worth the risk, he thought dimly as he watched a sparkle of silver enter her cool, gray eyes.

Tracing circles over his chest, she lifted her gaze to his. "Perhaps I could offer you something instead of an apology?" she asked.

He curved his hands over her hips, marveling at how well they fit together. "Oh?" His breath caught when he felt her hand smooth over his pelvic bone.

"How do you do that?" she muttered wonderingly, fingering the corded muscles in his neck tentatively.

"Do what?" His voice sounded hoarse, unsurprising since he felt like someone had clamped iron bands over his vocal cords.

"Breathe, Ares," she teased. Her breath drifted over his neck, making him lightheaded with the intensity of what he was feeling. Still, he did as she had advised, filling his lungs with a wealth of oxygen before his chest tightened once more as he felt her teeth lightly graze his shoulder. "Athena..." he warned.

"Sorry," she replied, not sounding the least bit contrite. "So what do you say?"

"Hmn..." He encircled her upper arms, chaffing them slightly as he pretended to consider her offer. "Why does it seem like every interaction you initiate is some kind of bargain? Can't you ever just be devastated by the raw sensuality I exude? Why do you always seem to want something from me?" he teased.

She pursed her lips. "You shouldn't concern yourself overly with things like that," Athena said. "All you need to worry about is whether it is in your best interests to say yes."

His eyes narrowed in that way that told her he was trying to hide a smile. "Well, my bitter-toned little olive, I do know the answer to that."

She felt her face heating in a blush but pressed on. "Which is?"

"No," he smiled, "But that's never stopped me before." He slid a hand around the back of her neck and urged her to bend so he could reach her lips. As always, his kiss was that of a conqueror. He didn't seek to subdue but asserted enough of a display of his prowess to ensure that she knew that he could. Yet although she responded fervently, the nature of her response disarmed him completely. She didn't try to wrench control from him and because of that he willingly found himself relinquishing it. The violent passion with which he had seized her lips dissipated into a subtly pleasant exploration, a leisurely tasting of her essence, a warm assurance of her interest. Her kiss was so sweetly tender, so achingly tentative that his fierce surge of lust seemed an irrationally disproportionate response to such a chaste embrace.

-----

She could happily go on kissing him forever, Athena decided. The warm weight of his hand on the base of her spine was doing that thing where it liquefied her bones and made her thoughts a little muddled. She would quite enjoy it, well she already was enjoying it, but she would enjoy it considerably more, if it didn't put her at such a disadvantage. Thus, she had concluded that it should balance things out nicely if she could make his thoughts a little muddled as well. If only she knew how to proceed.

Now that she finally had him to herself, it was like being confronted with a wealth of possible paths and not knowing which one to take. She might as well set about answering all the little questions that had been rumbling about in her brain since she had first set her eyes on his. Drawing back from his embrace she looked at his face critically. _Definitely brown. The darkest brown possible without it being black, but brown._ "Sit up and turn around."

"What?" he said, confused by her sudden command, watching warily as she came to sit behind him and placed her hands on his shoulders. His head dropped and he let out a shaky groan. Alternately her thumbs worked in a circular motion at the base of his neck and then switched to kneading his shoulders.

"I've noticed that you hold a lot of tension here," Athena remarked as she continued to massage his back, pressing hard as he emitted more happy sounds of relief. "You rub your neck often to try and ease it, but really it's your posture, you..." she paused as he mumbled in assent.

"Whatever you say. Feels so good...might have to keep you with me forever...Gaia..." Ares flopped onto his back and pulled her over him. "Stop trying to distract me," he teased. "You promised an alternative to an apology..."

"So I did," Athena replied. She drew a hand over his chest, her nail accidentally scraping over his nipple as she did. Noticing the way his eyes darkened, she halted the apology that rested on her tongue. She stroked the offended area soothingly with her fingertips, noting how his nostrils flared as he drew in an unsteady breath. Tentatively, she tasted the nerve-filled nub of flesh, jumping back quickly when he groaned. "Did I hurt you?" she asked worriedly.

Ares grunted. Cracking one eye open when she didn't respond or continue her innocent torture, he managed to utter a husky "no" before falling back against the bed muttering a combination of curses and prayers as her hands and mouth continued to wander down his body. When she began to run her hands over the straining muscles in his thighs he thought he'd had as much as he could handle. Before he could draw her into his arms he felt her mouth on him. "Sweet mother of the gods..."

She looked up at him again and the concern and innocence in that wide-eyed pewter gaze undid him completely.

-----

"You asked me if you could substitute something for an apology. I've decided what I want," he said roughly.

"But I've already start..."

His forehead was resting on the pillow behind her head. He kissed her jaw, his mouth sucking at a patch of skin at the base of her throat, grazing his teeth over her collar bone. She was beginning to think that it wouldn't be such a terrible idea to agree to whatever he had in mind.

"Let me torment you a little. I want to seduce you."

-----

And that's where we stop. Join me again after midterms and essays and reading and I'm half conscious. Yay college! No. Right, hope you like it.

**PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW!!!**

Much love, Cat


	17. Oh, I Just Can't Get Enough

I don't know how I write. If anyone ever asks me one day I have no idea how I'll answer. I thought music helped but now music distracts me. I like to write things out on paper, but the first half of this chapter, as well as a lot of the others, are just written on the computer when I get into one of my "writing modes". Everything seems to just gel and the words start appearing on the page. Miraculous and inexplicable. Thus, the updates take a long time. I love you all though and thank you for putting up with the wait. Reviews help me get the next update out faster! On that note...

As always, PLEASE REVIEW!!!

Much love, Cat.

_Chapter dedicated to Bards of Bedlam, my beta. _

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_Gaia, but she was beautiful_. Try as he might, he couldn't seem to tear his eyes away from the sleeping form nestled against his side. She felt so soft and enticingly warm that he wanted nothing more than to take her in his arms and wake her with his lovemaking but she needed to recuperate. He'd never lain with an innocent before but he figured that she would be sore. He indulged in a smug smile, enjoying the luxury of reflecting arrogantly on their night together while her eyes were safely shut. The way she had clung to him and whispered... Reluctantly, he began to slide out from under her, not wanting to wake her though he had to leave. If he could have he would have disobeyed the command, but it was morning and he had obligations.

As if she were protesting his departure, Athena threw an arm across his chest. Her breasts were crushed against his side and her soft breaths teased his right ear. "Little temptress," he teased quietly. Gritting his teeth, he managed to pull away and begin to gather his clothes from where they had been strewn on the floor in last night's frenzy. He was fully dressed, just strapping on his sword belt, when he risked a glance back at the bed. His chest felt oddly tight. The soft morning light just grazed her cheeks, highlighting her hair with glints of gold. Against the blue green sheets, she looked like the sea nymph of his fantasies, her delicate, elegant beauty belying her fiercely passionate nature. Her enticing curves were just hidden by the blankets but the image of her sweet and eager and knee-weakeningly desirable was imprinted in his mind. Unable to stop himself, he was at the side of the bed before reason could intervene. Kneeling almost reverently beside her, he carefully leaned over and cupped her cheek. Unconsciously holding his breath, he just grazed her lips with the gentlest kiss he had ever bestowed. Something within him was shaken by the soft warmth of her mouth. He glanced back down at her, finding her still fast asleep but with a slight smile curving her lips. Alas, he had not awakened his sleeping beauty.

He allowed himself one last wistful look before he crept out of the room, hurrying silently out of the house until he was outside the perimeter and could transport himself to his meeting. Even as he disappeared, he was imagining his return to her welcoming arms.

-----

Athena stretched happily, her muscles pleasantly heavy after their late night exertions. Usually she was an early riser but felt she could be allowed one late morning, especially after... Never had her imaginings approached the reality of being in his arms, being so connected and so close.

She reached out for Ares, only to find herself alone in her bed. The soreness between her thighs and the vividness of her memories assured her that last night had not been a dream. Eager to find him, she began to consider where he might have disappeared to.

Yawning, she slid her legs over the side of the bed and began to flit around the room, grabbing a nightgown from the closet and tossing it over her head. She wrapped a robe around herself before heading to the kitchens where she found her housekeeper and cook. And no Ares. Biting her lip, she attempted to find the right words. "Ah...have you seen...that is..."

"He isn't here," her housekeeper interjected, preventing her further embarrassment though a blush had already begun to steal across her cheeks. "He stole out of here like a thief this morning."

"Oh," Athena said quietly. "Thank you. I suppose maybe he had something he needed to attend to. I'll just...Hmn...Thank you." She turned around and exited the kitchen like a sleepwalker, the energy that had been bubbling up in her suddenly deflated.

The cook saw her friend open her mouth as if to say something more, but placed a warning hand on her arm, quelling her with a raised brow. "Miss Athena, would you like something to eat?" she called out instead.

Athena turned abruptly, looking surprised, as though she had forgotten anyone else was there. "No. No, thank you. Perhaps later. I think I'll just... No, thank you."

-----

I know you think I don't have a plan. Trust me, I do. A little conflict is coming. The major conflict will be later. They've got to fall in love first. Remember, they've known each other for centuries. I'm building a reason for them to get together RIGHT NOW.

Please, please review.

Much love, Cat


	18. Every Day A Little Sting

Thanks as always to my main beta, **Bards of Bedlam**. Major thanks to my new beta, **Violetta Caine**. She is unbelievably awesome. I wouldn't have gotten this chapter posted without them.

You know I love you darlings, and you know what I need you to do.

As always, PLEASE REVIEW!

Much love, Cat

xxxxx

**EUTHALIA** (Ευθαλία): Greek name composed of the word _eu_"good, well" and the name Thaleia "blooming, flourishing," hence "well-blooming/flourishing." This is the also the name of some species of butterflies.

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Breathing choppily, she came awake to the feel of his hands caressing her limbs. She lifted a hand to her lips to feel his kiss burning sweetly against her lips, her jaw, her throat. Her lower body clenched in need. _The Fates and the cosmos be damned_. She wanted to hate him. She wanted to cast every thought and memory of him from her mind, but the harder she tried to expel them the more thoughts of him seemed to crowd into her every conscious second. What made it all the more annoying was the certainty that he wasn't having the same problem.

_Tartarus_. She didn't even have the luxury of imagining him hurt or maimed or in some other way detained and unable to contact her. Unlike a mortal woman, she couldn't conjure up the fantasy of him having been struck by a cart in an effort to prevent a child from being run down, and now tucked away in some inn having lost all memory of his identity. No, wherever he was, he was choosing not to return. As such, how could she imagine that a man who had abandoned her for four days without a word would spare even a minute to think of her?

xxxxx

This was taking too damn long. When Zeus had sent him out to solve a "minor disagreement" between neighboring towns he had thought he'd be done in an afternoon. Now it was three days later and the fighting had just calmed for the first time in hours. _Mortals. Bloody idiots._

His thoughts turned to a more pleasant image. Athena. Who would have expected that? He closed his eyes and for moment he could feel the warm marble smoothness of her skin, the glide of her hair over his chest, hear her voice murmuring the most innocently arousing things that made him want to laugh and take her at the same time.

It felt like ages since he'd seen her. But... His brow furrowed. "Well, Tartarus." He hadn't realized it until now, but this had been the longest they'd spent apart in at least a good decade. He expected to feel that panic that welled up whenever a woman tried to get too close. But he didn't. He expected to feel the need to put the greatest amount of distance between them as possible but…he didn't. He wanted to finish this business and go back to her and take up where they'd left off. The feeling was strange, new, but not altogether awful. If his younger self had been able to hear his thoughts he would have laughed at the way he was being led by the nose by a woman. But he didn't feel like one. It wasn't…normal, but it didn't feel strange.

_Ah, Tartarus._ He was thinking too much. The woman was beautiful and charming and he didn't feel like ramming a spear into his skull when he listened to her talk. He was being a fool. Over-thinking and over analyzing like a damn cold-blooded, arrogantly superior philosopher. He stalked off to find the heads of state and possibly ram their heads together if it got him back home sooner. The thought made him smile.

xxxxx

The heat was suffocating. She could barely breathe, let alone think. Pushed to her limit she gave in to a fit of childish petulance and hurled the book she had been failing to read against the wall.

"Damn," she muttered, springing up from the couch to gently pick up her novel and turn it over in her hands, inwardly breathing a sigh of relief at the lack of damage. Glancing up, she examined the sizeable dent she had made in the wall. The formerly smooth surface now boasted a roughened texture from the pressure of the impact of her lack of composure. "Tartarus." _Was there to be no end to the frustrations of this day?_ Happily, the book was unharmed, it was one of her favorites after all, but the wall was yet another concern that she didn't feel equipped to deal with at the moment, not when… She crossed to the door of the parlor, intending to call someone to have it fixed but was sidetracked by a warm, mellow scent with an underlying kick of spice that made her think of curling up in bed with a good book and being held, however briefly, in loving arms.

She shook the fanciful nonsense from her head and made her way to the kitchens where before she had even asked, the cook placed a plate of grilled octopus, crusty bread, and honey-soaked baklava in front of her. "Eat," she urged.

Seeing no reason to resist, she cut into the tender meat and lifted it to her mouth, relishing the slightly chewy texture and the salty taste that could only come from the sea. She hadn't realized she was so hungry.

"I didn't want to say anything but I wondered if you were ever going to come down for a proper meal," the cook murmured as she washed a bowl.

Athena paused with a chunk of bread halfway to her lips. "I've been…"

"A glass of wine and a few bites of greens is not a proper meal," the cook interrupted sternly. "That is, if you don't mind me…I didn't mean to speak out of turn, miss." She went back to scrubbing the bowl vigorously.

"It's alright, Euthalia," she said before they lapsed into a companionable silence as she chewed the bread. The crust crunched audibly, the coarse texture scraping against the roof of her mouth before she hit the center moistened by milk and honey.

The cook smiled as she watched her mistress reach for the square of baklava and savor the first bite of the cinnamon and vanilla laced treat. When she'd been hired, she'd felt an immediate awe of her employer but she'd come to realize that although Athena had sprung from her father's head fully grown and with all the knowledge of the world, she'd had no experience of it. The first few months she'd lived here she'd watched and marveled as Athena relished every experience and stimulus as though she delighted in every new sensation; she behaved as the cook's own children had as they first greeted the world as infants.

"It isn't healthy for you to sit in that study all day with the curtains drawn," the cook ventured softly.

As if to lend its support to her words, the sun struck its bright rays through the kitchen windows, leading Athena's gaze out to the gardens. "Thank you, Euthalia. I think I'll go outside for a bit. Perhaps a walk in the yard will clear my head."

The cook said nothing, but smiled to herself as her mistress brought her the empty plate and wandered outside with the basket she used for collecting herbs and flowers.

Athena allowed the warmth of the sunshine and the increasingly strong smell of summer flowers guide her into down the well-kept garden paths. It was as if the adamantly stubborn refusal of her heart and her mind to relinquish her obsession of him was leading her body to take control and guide her to peace. She breathed in deeply. The gardens had been filled with carefully chosen flowers. Luscious, fragrant blooms were planted in abundance along pathways designed for long, meandering walks on stressful days when the world seemed to offer only petty trivialities and depressing meanness. The rich, heady scent of roses, gardenias, and jasmine mingled together to fill the air. They were the sorts of aromas that clung to the senses, to the skin. She reached into her basket and pulled out a pair of shears to gently clip off a few blossoms for oils. As the petals brushed lightly against her hand she couldn't help comparing the sensations she had once thrived under to those he had introduced to her.

She had been drawn to him, drawn to the emotions and the intensity of the sensations he evoked in her. It was like suddenly being thrust into a world of heightened awareness. The shock of there being a whole other realm of feeling that she had never even thought to explore had been too alluring to ignore. But there'd been more…the way he made her laugh, the way he sat and listened to her, the way he seemed to care… No wonder countless women threw away their honor on men worth even less that Ares. She was willing, even now, to sacrifice her dignity for another taste of that world. But she wouldn't.

Rationally she knew she had a right to be upset, to be hurt, but this… This was too much. The ache that had persisted for days in the pit of her stomach, the lazy, listless feeling that beckoned to her in her current, vulnerable state…it would end now. This was the sort of pain only a woman scorned by the man who had possessed her heart for many years could lay claim to. But if she were honest with herself, she was that sort of woman. It hadn't just been the past few days of courtship, or even the past years of growing friendship. Her heart had known it belonged to him for a long time. She didn't know how much of that was due to Fate and honestly, it didn't matter. Whatever had been predestined had strengthened into something much, much more powerful.

Perhaps it was blasphemy to consider her feelings for Ares to be beyond the touch of the force that controlled the very universe, the affairs of gods and mortals and creatures alike, and ordered the lives of every living being. That didn't stop her from knowing it was true.

But it didn't matter. Whatever she felt she would put a stop to right now. She would lock those feelings away until eventually they died, until seeing him hold someone else in his arms would barely cause a twinge of reaction and she could talk with him with as little emotion as she dealt with anyone else. Yes. That is what she would do. All she needed was time to harden her resolve and…

"Lady Athena!" the cook called to her from the end of the path, her hair falling from its pins and her breathing uneven as though she had run from the kitchen. "Lord Ares is here."

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Once again…

PLEASE REVIEW!

Much love, Cat


	19. He Smiles Sweetly, Strokes My Hair

OK. You know what? I can't find any of my betas. But that is not going to stop me from giving you a new chapter. There shouldn't be major problems. I don't proofread but I'd like to think I'm a decent writer. I've written most of my work without betas and you've liked it fine. So, newest chapter, hope you enjoy it, we'll get back to the drama soon.

As always, PLEASE REVIEW!

Much love, Cat

xxxxx

She sat quietly on a stone bench, her body facing away from the house…away from the sound of his approaching footsteps. He would forever be the man she had given herself to… It had been her decision and like all her decisions, she accepted the consequences of it. So she had miscalculated. So she had assumed she had all the facts and was in complete control of the situation, entering into the engagement fully informed. If she had underestimated how much she actually cared about him then that was her issue. If she hadn't anticipated how much she would miss him, even for the short time he had been gone, then that was not his fault. If she hadn't realized how being exposed to such a depth of feeling would change her then she was to blame. So then why did the thought of seeing him right now flood her with mingled anger and hurt and longing?

Never in her entire life had she been this uncertain about anything. Damn, but she hated this….hated the uncertainty, hated herself for being uncertain. She was the goddess of wisdom, the one with all the answers. So where were these voices coming from that each shouted their differing opinions with equal conviction and fervor? Part of her wanted to throw herself into his arms and know that he was alright and her concerns had been groundless that he would take care of it. Which appalled her. Part of her wanted to question his actions, accost him and rail at him without a thought for her dignity. Which frightened her. Part of her just wanted him to go away, unprepared to deal with his presence at the moment. Which…which saddened her in a way that she didn't want to contemplate… As the disparate voices dueled, she finally heard his footsteps come to a halt.

"Athena?"

She didn't answer. She couldn't answer right now. She didn't know what to say.

He sat down behind her and lifted the tendrils of hair that had escaped her coif from the back of her neck and draped them over her shoulder. Placing his hands on her shoulders, he pulled her gently back against his chest and nuzzled his face against the underside of her jaw and the spot just below her ear. "You're awfully quiet," he murmured.

She let her eyes drift shut, knowing he knew it was one of her most sensitive places and also hoping irrationally that maybe if she didn't say anything he might just leave. The fact that the situation was so unthreatening perversely terrified her all the more. She needed to regain control over herself, her decision-making abilities, and the situation. The conviction that he would likely acquiesce such control to her was not helping. Something about the situation didn't feel right. She was no longer comfortable being with him. Something had changed and she…wanted him to acknowledge it.

She managed to muster up a smile for him, opting for the safety of politeness. "Hello, Ares."

He cupped her jaw gently. "Hello," he murmured, brushing his lips over hers lightly.

"Where…where have you been?" she blurted out. _Well, at least it hadn't come out like an accusation…although she hadn't quite achieved nonchalance_.

Ares smiled. "Why, did you miss me?"

_Did I miss him? Did I _miss_ him? Did I _miss him_!_ She tried her best. She really did, but there was no help for it. All the dissenting voices in her brain had finally agreed on a course of action. She shoved him off the bench.


	20. In the Murmurs In the Pauses & the Sighs

OK, everytime I've tried to start writing this chapter, it's come out as too comical and lighthearted and it just felt wrong. Now I'm on break and after marathoning through The 10th Kingdom and skimming through some of my favorite romance novels, I think I'm ready to strike the right tone. Sorry for the wait. Hope you like it.

**As always, PLEASE REVIEW!**

**Much love, Cat**

**xxxxx**

Much thanks to my beta Violetta Caine. Just knowing she's there for me inspires me to write, so you can thank her for this update.

xxxxx

They stared at each other for a long moment. She thought he looked stunned, but apparently not angry, sprawled out with his hands braced beside him and one knee bent. Ares thought she looked frightened, not the typical response of someone who had just had a violent emotional outburst, her hands folded in her lap, clasped tightly as if trying to recapture the control she had lost.

Silently she held out her hand to him and he took it, using the leverage to pull himself up and seat himself on the bench beside her.

"I don't know what came over me," Athena murmured to the row of daffodils along the path, unable to meet his eyes.

"Don't you?" he asked, not unkindly, cautiously sliding his fingers along her cheek to cup her jaw and compel her to look at him.

"No," she answered honestly, quite appalled at the fact that it was true. "At least, not entirely."

"Well, that's more progress than I've made at the moment, so maybe if you explain what you do know, we can reason it out together," Ares suggested, taking her hand in his and stroking it comfortingly.

Athena couldn't help but smile. "When did you start acting all calm and rational?"

"One of us has to," he gently teased, now stroking his thumb over the center of her palm. "I'm sorry that I was gone for so long, but I didn't know if I should get in touch with you and I kept thinking that I would be able to return soon so it would be foolish to send a message to you."

She unconsciously shifted closer to him. "But why didn't you say anything before you left?"

"You were asleep. I didn't want to wake you. And to tell the truth, I wanted to slip out before anyone noticed. We never talked… I wasn't prepared for how to deal with… I didn't know how you wanted me to act after what had happened. I assumed that you wouldn't want anyone to know until we had time to sort out what it all meant. I didn't plan for this, you know."

"That night?" she questioned.

"All of it. I don't know what to call it… but I feel close to you, connected. We're friends at least, aren't we?" he asked.

"Yes, we are," Athena replied quickly. "I think we are," she amended. "That is, if you want me as a friend, I will be one to you."

"Of course I do," he said pulling her closer. She didn't resist. "When did we get so uncomfortable with each other? I feel as though lately I've been able to talk to you about anything."

"I think it must be that we're talking about something serious, not that we haven't before, but now it's of import to us, emotions are involved, invested, and it's muddling everything," she said distantly, her chest tightening as her words stopped. Athena laid her cheek against his chest, her head tucked beneath his chin. Ares, the person who had caused her so much agony was now the only one who could comfort her. She ignored the irony and simply let him hold her. _But no, this was where they had gotten into trouble before, by refusing to confront the issue and charging forward without discussing things, without thinking about consequences, and…_ She shut her eyes, smiling bitterly. She couldn't even put it into words.

"What is it that you want from me?" she asked quietly.

He adjusted his hold on her and began to play with one of her hands again.

"Ares?" she prompted.

He shushed her. "Give me a moment. I'm thinking. That's a loaded question, sweetheart, and I'm not sure how to answer."

"Oh."

Ares chuckled, hugging her close. "Do you know that you are rather adorable? I think that's part of it. You make me laugh. I like spending time with you. But of course, that isn't what you mean, is it?"

Athena just waited, unwilling to ruin these moments. She felt as if they were in a liminal space, on the cusp of a transition that depended on his next words and until that time she was going to enjoy being held so…naturally.

He started speaking again. "I guess, I… I don't know what you want me to say. I don't know what you want from me. I'll follow your lead, sweetheart. I just know that I don't want things to change. I mean, I know they have to now… But I don't want things to suddenly become so different that I can't come see you every day. I want you to be able to talk to me again." He gently kissed the top of her head. It seemed like they were both clinging to the closeness they had managed to achieve.

"How can we follow my lead?" Athena said, her smile tinged with sardonic sadness. "I don't have any experience in these things…"

"I'm making you unhappy," he said. "Do you want me to go?"

"No," she said quickly. "That is…"

"I understand," he murmured. "But then what are we going to…"

He didn't have a chance to finish his thought. His mouth was otherwise occupied.

xxxxx

Hope you liked the chapter. I know it's been very dramatic for a while. In case, it wasn't clear…this chapter is going to transition back to having some fun with these two.

PLEASE REVIEW!

Much love, Cat


	21. He Talks Softly of His Wars

So Ares and Athena haven't been themselves lately. This chapter is getting them back to whom they are and who they need to be for each other. Also, I decided to throw in a little Lysistrata there. Hope the feminists and Aristophanes fans in the audience appreciate that.

**WRITING PLAYLIST:** Never Let Me Go by Judy Bridgewater

Beta-less again. Sorry for the wait.

**As always, PLEASE REVIEW!**

**Much love, Cat**

xxxxx

Athena kissed him and felt the heaviness she had been carrying in her heart fall away. It was as if an invisible hand had pulled out all the tension from her body.

He caught her, tightening his arms around her as her body seemed to collapse.

It was clear from the way he held her that no matter how ardently he was kissing her back, their unresolved issues were still at the forefront of his mind. However, currently, she found her mind too foggy and her limbs too heavy to do any thinking, or really much of anything else but this. She wound her arms around his shoulders, clinging to him dreamily.

"Athena," Ares murmured into her jaw. "Athena, listen to me."

_She should_. She knew that she should but…it was difficult. And closing her eyes and ears to the world as she savored the feel of his lips brushing over her cheek…that was easy.

But then he pulled away.

Athena opened her eyes slowly, sensing the inevitable confrontation as her lids lifted.

Her breathing was uneven though the kiss had been sweet and gentle. He wondered if he had mistaken a sniffle for a slight intake of breath as she took one of his hands in hers and lifted it to her face.

Athena brushed the backs of his fingers along her cheek. "I need this," she said softly. "The best thing to do would have been not to have progressed so quickly but there's nothing for it. There's nothing we can do to change it now."

"Why not?" Ares said, suddenly feeling combative.

She frowned. "What?" she asked, letting his hand fall.

He brushed his thumb over her bottom lip. "Why can't we go back? Start slowly and figure out what we want along the way?"

"That isn't how it works," she argued. "We can't just– and then I wouldn't know whether we should…"

It was his turn to look confused.

"You know," she said insistently.

"I don't see why not," he answered, when he realized what she was hinting at.

"But it's not…"

He had a sudden thought. "Did you not…? I mean, was it at all? Did I hurt you or…"

"No!" she said quickly. "It was…" she ducked her head, "it was lovely, wonderful, but…"

He gently placed his hand under her chin to lift her head. "Are we or are we not gods?"

"We are…" she said cautiously.

"Then why are we letting others set the standard for our behavior?" he asked. "I think we're making this too complicated because…what was it you said before? It's something both serious and unfamiliar. So we'll figure it out together. We'll teach each other how to have a mature, adult relationship," he finished.

"It would be the first one in history among our set," she said with a smile.

He kissed her gently. "Who better to lead the way?"

"I feel like I need to be alone now for a while to gather my thoughts…but I don't want you to leave. Isn't that ridiculous?" she said with a hint of her usual charm.

"What if I come back later tonight? We can have dinner and…talk," he offered.

"Just talk?" she asked lightly.

He grinned at her wickedly. "We'll see."

xxxxx

Athena pressed her hand to her mouth as another embarrassingly girlish fit of giggles bubbled up. "You can't be serious," she said.

Ares grinned. "It's been a while since I've heard you laugh like that. And yes, I'm completely serious."

"I can't believe that mortal women would actually deny their husbands their marital rights and then seize control of all of the currency," Athena marveled. "Their lack of control over reproduction and sexuality and lack of funds or a socially-sanctioned means of fending for themselves are a large part of their oppression. To think that they banded together and took power like that…it's impressive."

"It is," he replied. "Needless to say the men were furious but eventually the combination of pressure from the women plus some...clever conflict resolution…on the part of myself and Hermes forced a peace. And then I came back to you," he said softly, taking her hand in his.

"I always seem to forget that you are also the god of civil order," she said.

"Yes, well, I enjoy a good battle as much as the next…" he laughed, "Alright, I enjoy a good battle _more_ than the next person, but for a reason. Training has a purpose. And if someone is fighting for an important cause that they believe strongly in defending then that has it's merit but petty disputes and argument for the sake of argument only distracts from what is important and what we can accomplishment. I would rather have cities at peace and fighting in a proper arena than endless wars." He smiled. "Look at me getting all philosophical. Some meddling mortal writer will probably end up turning the whole thing into a farce anyway."

"But of course," she said, returning his smile. "How else could they deal with our presence and their follies? I am still not completely content with their version of events when it comes to my punishment of Arachne. That girl was nothing but trouble, always…"

He held up a hand. "I know. I've heard you tell it many times," he reminded her.

She rested her chin in her hand.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked.

"How many times I've told you about that," she said. "You're right. We shouldn't let anyone else dictate how we interact with each other. As long as we both understand each other, anyone else's opinion is not my concern."

She could tell from the way his dark eyes gleamed that he was pleased by her words. That and the way he crossed to her side of the dinner table and drew her into his arms. He had a gift for undoing her. The touch of his hands on her skin seemed to immediately sensitize every inch of her body and when he drove his hands roughly through her hair, sending pins and ribbons cascading to the floor, she found herself unraveled.

"I'm sorry," he murmured against her temple, sounding thoroughly unrepentant. "That must have taken a long time to do."

She smiled as he trailed his hand down her back, tightly molding her to his frame. "I'm looking forward to how you plan to apologize," she answered impertinently, recalling their previous comments.

xxxxx

**Hope you enjoyed it.**

**As always, PLEASE REVIEW!**

**Much love, Cat**


	22. In the Parlor, In the Bed

You said you were tired of all the love-making scenes, though they helped me to establish a lot of background and character development. Regardless, I decided to forego another one to move forward with the plot. I'm sorry I haven't been able to do a lot of writing lately. I can't find a beta and school is getting rather hectic.

**Writing Playlist:** You're a Cad by The Bird and the Bee, Witch by The Bird and the Bee

As always, **PLEASE REVIEW!**

Much love, Cat

xxxxx

Reluctantly throwing off the blankets, she tried to raise herself up to stretch out the tension in her shoulders but found herself trapped. She wiggled around to no avail. Cautiously opening her eyes to the bright mid-morning sun, Athena glanced down at the heavily muscled arm pinning her down. "Ares," she whispered, "wake up."

The tousle-haired rogue didn't open his eyes but she felt him pull her closer.

Easing away slightly, she had the chance to rotate her shoulders before he caught her hands and drew her under him, her arms over her head. He buried his face in her neck, kissing his way from the sensitive spot right under her ear to graze his teeth against her collarbone to…

She dissolved in a fit of giggles, rolling away from him long enough to smack him weakly with her arm. "You promised not to do that anymore."

He grinned at her. "Did I?"

She narrowed her eyes at him as she nestled herself against him, lightly raking her nails over his back before walking her fingers over his ribs and tickling him mercilessly.

Gasping for breath, he managed to pin her under him again.

Their eyes were bright with laughter and childish exuberance. "I missed this," he said.

"I have, too," she said.

They stared at each other for a long moment before they were interrupted by a knock on the door. "Miss Athena?" a sharp voice called.

"It's my housekeeper," Athena whispered to him. "Yes, what is it?" she answered in a carrying voice.

"Apollo is here to see you. What would you like me to tell him?"

Athena's eyes widened.

"Tell him to go away," Ares answered.

The housekeeper cleared her throat disapprovingly from behind the door as Athena glared at Ares. "Tell him I'll be there shortly. Put him in the blue waiting room."

"Very good, miss," the housekeeper answered, the sound of her footsteps receding.

By that time Athena had already left the bed and a highly amused Ares to toss a dress over her head and start to fix her hair. "Stop smirking and tell me what we're going to do!" she demanded as she ran a brush through the tangles he had caused.

Ares ran a hand through his own rumpled hair. "Are you ready for people to know?" he asked.

"No. Definitely not. I want to settle everything between us before anyone else can interfere."

"I agree," he said. "So where does that leave us?"

"Well, even I can't think up a good reason for you to be here with me this early…_other _than the obvious," Athena added in response to his sardonic look.

"Do you want me to stay here while you go talk to him?" he asked.

"Yes. I won't be long," she said as she tied a belt around her waist and gently dropped a kiss on his cheek.

Ares rose from the bed and halted her hand as she reached for the door. Pulling her close, he kissed her deeply until his spicy, musky scent filled her nostrils and his taste seemed imprinted on her tongue.

"What was that for?" she asked breathlessly.

He just kissed her again and hurried her along. "He's waiting downstairs. Don't take too long," he said with a smile. "I'll be here when you're done."

xxxxx

Athena smiled as she entered the room, trying her best to look as if she hadn't spent the night doing what she had been doing. "You know I'm always happy to see you, but this visit is unexpected. Is there anything you need?"

Apollo took her hands in his, kissing her cheek as he motioned for her to sit on the couch beside him. "Actually, I was hoping to be of some help to you. You haven't left your house in days and your housekeeper mentioned that you've been upset and you haven't been eating."

She shook her head. "I'm fine, really. My housekeeper gossips too much. It's true…I wasn't feeling well. But it's passed. It's nothing you need to worry about."

"So, that was it?" he pushed. "You were ill?"

Athena smiled. "Something like that." She continued before he could start another round of questioning. "How have you been? Is everything alright?"

"Yes," he answered.

"Good. I'm glad," she said, her eyes wandering to the doorway.

Apollo took her hand in his. "You would tell me if something were wrong, wouldn't you?"

"Of course," she said. "I'm sorry to cut our talk short but I have some work I really should be getting to…"

"Work can wait if you haven't eaten breakfast yet. Come, let's go to the dining room and you can tell me all about your plans," he offered.

"I've already eaten," she answered. "I'm sorry. I'm sounding so rude but I don't mean to be. Another time?"

"Of course," he answered.

"My housekeeper can walk you to the door," she said.

He nodded, kissing her on the cheek again and following the housekeeper to the door. However, she had not succeeded in alleviating his suspicions. He lingered at the door, watching as she bypassed her study and made her way up the stairs to the bedrooms.

xxxxx

I hope you liked it.

As always, **PLEASE REVIEW!**

Much love, Cat


	23. And You Come To Me On A Summer Breeze

Hello, my loves! I know I've taken a while with this chapter but we're starting to go in a new direction and I wanted to get it right. Before we get started, I want to ask a couple of favors.

1. Please go check out the 2 new forums I started to talk about my stories. I'd love to be able to start a little community where I can answer all of your questions.

2. Please check out my new story "Wolf Wolf". If you like the style of this one, I'm sure you'll love it and it needs a little attention.

3. Please write a review or send me a PM telling me how you'd feel about me joining another site like FictionPress or Figment or working on a manuscript. I kind of want to give writing original stories a shot.

With all that out of the way, I hope you like the new chapter.

As always, PLEASE REVIEW!

Much love, Cat

xxxxx

All of my love and thanks to my betas, **McGonagall's Bola** and **Bards of Bedlam**. I do not deserve such wonderful girls who understand my sensibilities so well but I am extremely grateful for their help.

xxxxx

"What is this place?" Ares asked, surveying the innocent looking glen. It was pretty enough, picturesque in that way women liked. The grass was soft and lush underfoot and abundance of flowers. A stream flowed nearby, melodically splashing its waters. On one's initial appraisal, the setting appeared to suit her, but to him it seemed at odds with the passion and restlessness that lay hidden beneath her serene surface.

"I come here to think," Athena said quietly. She seemed to hesitate for a moment, not meeting his eyes as she helped him spread a blanket over the grass. A bird trilled overhead as if trying to fill the silence. "And… to listen."

He kept his eyes on her downturned face, his own gaze inscrutable. He wasn't sure how to take this new side of her. An unpredictable opponent was the most dangerous. She usually wasn't nearly so soft-spoken. Clear and direct. They were some of qualities he liked best about her, including her instinctive responsive to his touch. Ares pulled her into his arms as they sat down. He had convinced her to let her hair hang loose about her shoulders, and it spilled across his chest as she lay back against him. "Listen?" he queried, wondering what she could possibly want to listen to in such a secluded area.

"Yes," Athena said, placing her hand lightly on his arm, "hush."

He was about to protest the command when he suddenly did begin to hear something, so faint he would have believed he had imagined it if he hadn't been straining to hear it. He had absolutely no frame of reference for the sound. It was rhythmic and measured, a soft cadence carried on the breeze. Although it didn't sound like any language he had ever heard, Ares had the sense that a voice was speaking to him. If it was a language, the words had blended into a mournful refrain of pain and injured strength. Now that he had heard it, he couldn't unhear it. It was captivating in its quiet intensity.

Athena's voice broke the spell. "Ares?" she prompted, her gaze uncertain but hopeful.

"I heard it," he said, instantly aware of the source of her concern. They had become attuned to each other's moods and nonverbal cues after years of friendship. "What was it?"

"I don't know," she said quietly, though something about her response seemed evasive. She might not know but he was sure she had her suspicions.

Ares was wise enough to not push the subject. He carelessly began to play with her hair, letting the strands slip through his fingers. The tender act seemed to calm her skittishness. "It sounded almost like a voice," he ventured.

Her eyes widened at his words. There was no disguising the hope and longing in them now. "A voice?" she said, her voice breaking slightly. She turned in his arms, leaning her cheek against his chest, and tucking her hand under his cloak so it rested against his heart.

He tried to remain patient as he waited for her to speak. She lay there so quietly and so still for so long that he thought she might have fallen asleep.

"I've never told anyone else about this place…" she finally admitted, "I was so worried… I thought…"

He stemmed the flow of words with a gentle kiss. "What is this about, sweetheart?" he murmured into her hair when she laid her head down again.

"My mother," she said quietly, her voice muffled by his chest.

"Metis? I don't understand," he said. Whatever he had been expecting her to say, it hadn't been that. She looked unusually nervous. Of course he enjoyed upsetting her carefully maintained equilibrium a bit, but it was disconcerting to see her like this. He drew her closer.

"This area where we are now… it didn't always look like this. That stream there, it used to be a river. And those flowers there aren't native to this region." Athena paused, realizing her explanation wasn't clarifying anything for him. "Have you ever heard of 'veiling'?" she asked him.

He frowned, his eyes narrowing in concentration as he searched his memory. "I thought only the most powerful of Titans possessed that power."

Athena smiled slightly. "She _was_ one of the most powerful Titans. I've never really understood how Zeus could have…" she trailed off. "Anyway, that isn't important. You know what kind of man my father is. He pursued her relentlessly and for whatever reason, probably to avoid provoking a war, she refused to hurt him."

"How do you know all of this?" Ares asked her. Zeus' pursuit of Metis was before all of their time, shortly after the first Olympians had defeated Kronos and before The Great Battle.

"He told me one day when he was… inebriated," she said delicately, pulling out of his arms.

He shook his head, smiling. "That can't be it; Zeus can hold his liquor."

Athena returned the smile, some of her nervousness leaving her. "Well, I may have added something to his evening drink to loosen his tongue a little. Are you shocked?"

"Never," Ares whispered, kissing her gently. "I'm sorry for interrupting. You were saying?"

She sobered a bit, but pressed on. "Since she would not use force and he would not accept her rejection, whenever he approached her, she would flee and veil herself so he could not follow her or find her. She would come here."

Ares looked around the clearing as if seeing it with new eyes. "So then how did he find her?"

"Well, you know their powers are not so different from ours," Athena replied, "when they are physically weakened or overly emotional, it becomes more difficult to control their abilities. Zeus wasn't sure why when I questioned him, but one day after she had left him he was able to sense her presence and find her here. She wasn't veiling herself. And well…"

Ares put a hand up to stop her. "It's alright. I can imagine. So after you heard the story, you came here to try and find some sign of her?"

Athena nestled back into his arms. "I don't know what I expected to find here. It was months before I even found the right spot. Zeus' memory of the whole thing was a bit hazy. But when I first heard it, I just had a feeling… I can't explain it."

He kissed the top of her head, hugging her close. "So what do you think the sound might be?"

"I haven't been able to find out. It doesn't sound like any beast or creature I've ever encountered. And if it's a language, I can't decipher it. I have studied every language of man and god and found no answers. I've been so afraid to hope but I think it might be…"

"The ancient Titan language," he finished softly. "But the only ones who understand it are…"

"The Titans," she said sadly. "I know."

Ares ran his hands over her arms comfortingly. He murmured a muffled endearment into her hair before kissing her gently. "I wish there were a way I could help you," he said fervently.

"This is enough," she answered. She returned his stare, awash in their silent understanding. She tilted her head up, feeling at peace for the first time in this place as his lips touched hers.

xxxxx

Hope you liked it.

As always, PLEASE REVIEW!

Much love, Cat


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